The Best Intentions
by bricksandstrings
Summary: Perhaps all Mabel needed was a shoulder to cry on. A slightly fluffy/ slightly dark oneshot.


A quick oneshot to help me deal with my writers block, Enjoy :)

I do not own Gravity Falls or any of its awesome characters.

Mabel Pines was running, however she didn't know how she came to be running. But here she was running through the forest, jumping over tree roots and dodging branches and ahead of her was someone else. She didn't know who it was but they were important and she couldn't be left behind. Around them the forest was beginning to thin out; shafts of light broke through the canopy allowing her too see, it was Dipper.

Of course it was Dipper! Who else would she be so desperate to catch up too?

"Hey Dipper wait up!"

He must not have heard her, why else would he keep running. Dipper never left his sister behind, he just didn't hear her that's all. So Mabel called out again, and again. She shouted louder, was starting to feel fatigued but she kept running and shouting. Dipper would look over his shoulder and see her any second Mabel just knew it. He would stop and wait for her just like he always did, he had too. Mabel's lungs burned from all the running, her throat raw from shouting and shouting for Dipper. Finally she broke through the tree line and saw her brother, waiting for her on the front porch of the Mystery Shack. Mabel smiled with relief and ran across the clearing.

She did not know the ground was opening up beneath her until it was too late.

Mabel was falling, her hands thrashing out until they caught hold of a tree root. Bit by bit she began to haul herself up, where was Dipper and why had he not come to help her? Did he not just see her fall? Mabel grasped the lip of the hole she had fallen in and rested her chin on the edge. There she saw the Mystery Shack and Dipper with his back to her as he walked inside with someone; their hand on his shoulder and a journal tucked under his other arm. Mabel felt herself slipping again only this time there was nothing to cling too. Mabel fell down the hole and into oblivion.

Oblivion was at first dark, it was neither hot nor cold, it had no sound. Then oblivion became white and gray, the sounds around her both muffled and echoing all at once and though Mabel couldn't notice it quite yet, her fall into oblivion was slowing down. When she did notice Mabel found herself gracefully sliding into a plush antique chair.

At first Mabel looked around and saw nothing but a sea of blankness around her, that was the only way to describe the void she found herself sitting in.

"Hello?" She called out.

The was a loud pop that made Mabel jump and look up as streamers and flashy little pieces of triangular confetti rained down from nowhere. When Mabel lowered her head again there was Bill Cipher, across from her and hovering over a chair that matched her own.

"Hiya Shooting Star its been a while!" Bill greeted with a slight tip of his top hat.

"Bill? What are you doing here you demented dorito?"

"Whoa, whoa there is no need for hostility I mean, this is the Mindscape."

"Wait so that means-"

"You're asleep Star!"

"I.." Mabel paused and there was that slight click in her head that everyone gets with this kind of realization. "I'm asleep."

"You bet! You have been asleep for about.." Bill paused and from out of nowhere pulled out a rather large pocket watch. "About 70 minutes. Which means that we only have a little bit of time to talk before you start your sleep cycle all over again and that nightmare of yours didn't help with our window."

"Talk?"

"Hey I'm always watching. ALWAYS. But am I not allowed to hang out sis?"

"I'm not your sis so don't call me that."

"What? But Pine Tree gets to."

"Pine Tr- Dipper is my brother, of course he's allowed to."

A small moment of realization passed over Bill's face, "oh yeah... Hey watch this!"

With a snap pf Bill's fingers a small table covered in a clean table cloth appeared. With another snap came a tea set complete with fresh hot tea, sandwiches, and cookies.

If there was one thing Mabel knew, it was never pass up a tea party.

Mabel took a moment to admire the delicate china as she poured her own cup. Painted around the edges were tiny pink and gold stars as was the small plates with one large shooting star on the teapot itself. As Mabel loaded her plate with food Bill poured his own cup only to pause at his first sip. Mabel looked on as Bill seemed to become completely bewildered upon remembering that he didn't actually have a mouth, and therefore couldn't actually drink tea.

"Eh," he said with a shrug, "I'll just enjoy the aesthetic of it all."

How a triangle with just one eye be so expressive was beyond Mabel, but she too could appreciate the need for aesthetics.

"So," Bill said as Mabel took a sip of her tea, "we have a little bit of time, do you want to talk about that nightmare you had back there?"

"No."

"Aww come on Star, talking helps."

Mabel shook her head, "There is nothing to talk about."

"In case it wasn't obvious Shooting Star dreams are kinda my thing."

"Its none of your business."

"I just said it is my business and- oh good grief we'll take this up later ok?"

The world around them shimmered and dimmed, the tea party vanishing. The last thing Mabel say was Bill's eye glowing in the darkness before her sleep cycle started again.

Mabel Pines was running, however she didn't know how she came to be running. But here she was running through the forest, jumping over tree roots and dodging branches and ahead of her was someone else. She didn't know who it was but they were important and she couldn't be left behind. Around them the forest- was suddenly gone. Mabel found herself running in a great void, a sea of blankness all around her until she actually ran into somebody.

For a moment she thought maybe it was whoever she had been chasing, only to look up and realize she had crashed into Bill Cipher. So wait... was she dreaming?

"Hang on there Star," Bill said, pushing Mabel back and holding her by her shoulders with a surprising amount of strength. "I'm the only one allowed to break personal bubbles around here ok? Welcome back to your REM sleep!"

"REM sleep? I- oh wait!" Mabel shouted as there was again that click in her head, "that's right I am asleep!"

"Ding, ding, ding we have a winner! Your prize is a nice, much longer talk with me since I hijacked that recurring nightmare of yours. We have a lot more time now!"

"You can't do that!"

"Oh I can't? So maybe you would rather finish the nightmare again?"

"No, no I'm good."

"See? We're on the same page here Star there is no need to argue. But we do need to talk about that nightmare of yours. You don't usually get a lot of those, that's more of Pine Tree's department so whats up?"

"Nothing is up I'm fine, Dipper is fine, everything is fine!"

Mabel felt Bill's grip tighten on her shoulders, realizing that he had never actually let go of her. The triangle himself himself had taken on a somewhat orange-ish shade before taking a deep breath and turning back to his usual bright yellow. "Say Shooting Star you're a girly girl and like all that kind of stuff right?" He snapped his fingers.

"I don't appreciate that kind of labeling Bill and- oh my gosh its so pretty!"

Mabel found herself in what could only be described as the princess of all princess dresses. The tulle was a flurry of every shade of pink imaginable with odd hints of blue and purple that evened its color out. The skirt swept out and around her gracefully as if it was meant to be spun in circles. The top was a sweetheart shape with sleeves that capped her shoulders and crystals that flowed from it and down her skirt like raindrops.

It was perfect.

Mabel heard the soft hum of a violin and looked up to see she and Bill were now standing in a crowed ballroom with marble pillars lining the sides and a great chandelier glowing from the ceiling. It helped that with Bill floating he came up to Mabel's height because the next thing she knew he was spinning her around the dance floor.

At first Mabel focused on her steps, but Bill was doing a good job of leading her around plus his feet didn't touch the floor so she didn't have to worry about stepping on his toes.

"Where did you learn to dance?"

"Oh I know lots of things Shooting Star."

"Mabel giggled "yeah I know, lots of things."

Bill twirled her around again careful not to bump into any of the other dancers. The dance floor had gotten quite crowded, something that was a little unnerving to her.

"Hey, Bill whispered pulling her attention back to him, "don't worry about anyone else just look at me." Mabel tried, and failed, "Its kind of hard when you only have one giant eyeball on your face Bill."

Bill sighed and rolled the said one giant eyeball. "look the point is I'm here, I'm here despite how upset you are and I want to talk."

Mabel frowned at this, "There is nothing to talk ab-whoa!"

Bill spun her around again only much faster. "yes there is, you're scared Shooting Star. You're scared because a lot has happened at once hasn't it?"

"... Yes."

"And it seems to me that you don't want to tell anyone how scared you are because you are Mabel Shooting Star Pines who is all sunshine and smiles all the time. But you and I know better than that don't we?"

Mabel found it hard to form an answer, she as becoming quite dizzy which made it a bit hard to think. She stumbled for a moment only for Bill to catch her without missing a step but it still allowed for her thoughts to catch back up to her.

"Bill you don't know me at all and yes a lot has happened but its all good things!"

"Is it?"

She stumbled and he caught her again forcing her to take an odd step that felt like she was going up a staircase.

"Yes! I have two grunkles now! Dipper's biggest mystery has been solved, he knows who the author of the journals is!"

"But what about you?"

"What?"

"What about you Star? We have two brothers reunited, one gets to keep his business for a little longer and one gets to pick up where he left off in his research. We have another brother who has finally gotten to meet his hero! But what do you get?

"I... I get to see my family happy?" She paused, not meaning for it to sound more like a question.

"But that means there are three brothers wrapped up in their own business and each other leaving you out and its not all good things."

"The grunkles just have stuff to work out-"

"And who suffers from all their drama? You and Pine Tree that's who, plus all he wants to do is spend time with his new favorite great uncle-"

"Dipper loves Gruncle Stan!"

"The man who spent an entire summer lying to him? Best intentions aside Pine Tree knows if anything went wrong with that machine it would have been really bad. Besides how can he trust old Fez when now he has issues trusting you?"

"What? I.. no you're wrong."

"Am I?'

Bill was spinning her faster and faster, Mabel couldn't even feel the ground under her feet anymore. She needed to stop think.

"Bill can we take a break?'

"Answer me this first Shooting Star, your nightmare isn't about your worry about everyone its just you and Pine Tree isn't it? You know he doesn't trust you like before and now you're worried he's going to leave you behind."

"No that's not true!"

"Yes it is! Your brother has always been the smart one, the one people look to when they need a plan, you maybe the creative mussel but you've always needed him. But now he doesn't seem to need you does he?"

Mabel was dizzy and frightened, Bill's words felt like a stake being driven through her heart. She cried, had Bill not been there to support her she would have fallen to the floor.

"There now Star its going to be ok," Bill soothed, allowing Mabel to rest her head on one of his angled sides as she wept. She couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to rest her head on his shoulder instead. Mabel closed her eyes and let Bill continue to lead her around the dance floor only and what felt like a much slower pace.

"Don't you worry about any of that Shooting Star, just think! The Summer will be ending soon."

"Yes." For as long as Mabel had not wanted the Summer to end, the idea of going home and back to a normal life seemed like a relief.

"But what about until then? What about next Summer?"

In a second Mabel could see everything Bill implied. Dipper wanting less and less to do with her, Dipper and Grunkle Ford going out on monster hunts and leaving her behind, Dipper spending the whole year back home just planning what to do when he came back to Gravity Falls the next summer. Dipper leaving her for good.

"He wouldn't do that would he?"

"Well he is your brother Star you would know best."

"... No he wouldn't. Dipper has always been there for me."

"Then you should just trust that Star. You've always been the kind to follow your heart, no need to stop now."

Mabel sighed with relief, Bill was right she did just need to talk to someone, and to be honest this was kind of... nice. The soft sounds of the violin wafted through the air, with Bill leading her Mabel felt so graceful it seemed almost as if they were floating. Wait.

"However..." Bill practically purred.

Wait, this wasn't-.

"If you are still worried you and I could work to keep the Mystery Twins together no problem."

This wasn't right, what was wrong here? What was it?

"I could do anything you wanted me to Star you know that, and I wouldn't ask that much back."

Wait.

"And you know I'm the kinda guy who keeps all his promises and I know your the kinda girl who only ever acts with best intentions, so hows that for trustworthy?"

Mabel felt an odd warmth coming off from her side.

"So what do you say Shooting Star?"

Mabel opened her eyes to find Bill's one right in her face. The small slit that made up its pupil as dark as the oblivion she once fell through. Just in the corner of her vision was Bill's left hand still holding hers, already bathed in a warm blue fire. Mabel watched as the same tinge of blue spread across Bill's eye, she panicked and tried to push away only for Bill's grip to tighten.

"I wouldn't do that," he whispered his voice warping and deepening.

Mabel looked down, no wander she felt like she was dancing on air, she and Bill were floating high above the ballroom, their heads almost brushing the ceiling.

"So what do you say Shooting Star?"

Mabel felt something give out from under her as she started to fall only for Bill's grip around her waist to tighten even more keeping her from plummeting to the dance floor below.

"Please don't, you'll ruin the dress and I'm rather proud it."

"Bill."

"But think about it Star, I could make it all go away, all your worry and fear. All you have to do is just trust me and I could give you everything you want.."

"Bill."

"So, do we have a dea-"

"Enough!"

Mabel shoved Bill away from her as she fell, only instead of hitting the marble floor below she found herself falling into the same chair as the last dream, she and Bill were again sitting at a tea party only now the tea looked cold, the food stale.

Bill took a deep breath, easing out of the blue and tinges of red for the bright and cheerful yellow of his usual self.

"Alright Star its fine there is no need to push you."

Mabel sighed, looking around as the dream began to once again shimmer and dissolve.

"Besides. I'm a patient guy, and I'm always watching."

The dream ended.

Mabel Pines was running, however she didn't know how she came to be running. But here she was running through the forest, but now it was only kind of a forest. The tall trees were like the pillars, holding up a roof with a beautiful, glowing chandelier. Mabel found herself in a dress that could only be described as the princess of all princess dresses and around her were not strangers dancing to a violin but all her friends with Soos acting as DJ. Fairy lights were strung through the trees and along one wall was a gigantic tea party laid out and ready to be served. She danced and laughed, but something wasn't right. Where was Dipper? She looked around and around till she saw a flash of blue, his hat? Mabel maneuvered through the crowed till she could get a better look.

But it wasn't Dipper.

There, in a lonely corner of the room was Bill. His one eye watching her with such intensity it made her shiver. In one hand he held his signature cane, the other hung limp at his side bathed in a blue flame.

Mable did her best to ignore him for the rest of the dream.


End file.
